Not So Formal Meetings
by 1wingedangelX
Summary: Kings do not get nervous. Kings do not fidget. Kings do not let the women they love go. Post-series MuntoYumemi


Warning: This may or may not be ridiculously sweet.

**Standard disclaimer of all things that do not belong to me.**

* * *

Lord Munto was not nervous.

Kings do not get nervous.

Thus, Lord Munto was not nervous.

There. Simple logic.

Munto figured that his pacing around his throne room was simply a... warmup? No, that didn't seem like the right word.

Readying?

Preparation?

"Lord Munto."

Munto did absolutely not jump. Kings don't get surprised.

"Ah, Rui. What is it?"

The blue-haired general raised his head from a respectful bow, "The preparations for the ball are all set. The guests from the Lower World should be here soon."

"Can you stop calling it a ball."

Rui raised one thin blue eyebrow, "What else would you have me refer to it as?"

"Ah," Munto did not hesitate, "A... formal meeting with the people of the Lower World."

"A formal meeting that involves dancing, music, and general merriment?"

Munto had turned his face away when Rui spoke, but he could practically _hear_ the smirk in the man's voice.

How insolent.

The red king turned sharply and began walking to his throne. He sat down with an ungraceful _flop_. Rui began walking towards his king.

No.

Right now, he was going to walk to him as a long-time friend. "Is there something on your mind?" he asked casually.

Munto scoffed, "There is this _formal meeting_ that I am not looking forward to."

Rui resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Munto was never one for events such as this, but there was obviously something else contributing to the king's foul mood. _Someone_ else. Rui resisted a smirk. He should have figured this out a long time ago. Still, he needed to be subtle about this.

"This is the first ba- I mean, _formal meeting_ with the people of the Lower World since we made contact with them."

Munto stayed quiet, his chin resting on the palm of his hand as he gazed past the columns in his open throne room.

"Three years, it has been. This meeting will be essential in maintaining our peace with them, as well as the other kingdoms in our world." Rui had turned his head to follow Munto's gaze. He peaked at the other man from the corner of his eye, "Many important guests will be here."

"Is there some where you're going with this Rui, or are you just babbling?" Munto snapped, turning to the blue general.

"I am just making casual conversation."

Munto's eyes became slits as he watched his friend.

Rui's eyes lit up as if he were just remembering something, "Actually, when I was reading through the guest list a few days ago, I noticed a few familiar names. From the Lower World."

It clicked. Munto know exactly where Rui was going with this. He bit back a curse and slammed his chin into the palm of his hand once more. He mumbled something along the lines of 'Ryuely inviting whoever she likes'.

The shadow of a smile appeared on Rui's face. He bowed deeply, "Well then, Lord Munto, I must go back to help with any last second preparations. I will see you tonight at the _formal meeting_." With one more knowing smile, he strolled out of the throne room.

Munto heaved a heavy sigh. Had it really been three years since he had seen her? Had she changed? Had she gotten taller? Was she still always looking to the sky? Did she... forget him?

The king bit back a curse.

He really hated bal- formal meetings.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set and the moon was beginning to peek out from the east.

Munto tugged at his collar slightly. He was not fidgeting. Kings don't fidget. The damn thing was just too tight for his personal taste.

Guests, from the other kingdoms as well as the Lower World, had begun to arrive. The Lower World guests all gaped at the wonders of this new world. Some had been at the palace before as representatives of the Lower World. Politicians, important figures, and they're guests filed into the grand hall. Munto had placed himself at the entrance of the hall to formally greet every guest that walked through. Most of the guests had arrived when Rui relived Munto of his place saying that the king must go prepare for his opening address.

Munto was not disappointed. He was not waiting for one specific person to walk through the door. He really wasn't. The red king resisted running his hand through his hair. He figured Rui would not like the king to give an opening address with messy hair.

Munto stood behind a long curtain at the farthest end of the grand hall. In a few moments, when the rest of the guests arrive, he will emerge, stand atop the large staircase and give a formal address to all his guests. He had done a similar things in the past, but he still found himself pacing. He had the address memorized so really, what was the problem?

He decided to take a small peak from behind the curtain to the hall. There were so many people and he was too high above to recognize single faces. He let go of the curtain and sighed. Munto froze for a moment when he realized what he was doing. He was _looking_ for her.

Before he could dwell on it anymore, Rui appeared from behind the curtains.

"All the guests have arrived, m'lord. It's time for your opening address."

"_All _the guests?" Munto asked before he could stop himself.

Rui gave him a small smile, "Yes, everyone."

Munto cleared his throat, "Alright then."

He turned on his heel and pushed the curtains aside. As he appeared at the top of the staircase, loud conversations were replaced by a round of applause. He raised his hand and the applause died down.

"Welcome, my honored guests from both the Upper and Lower World," he began. As he continued his well-rehearsed speech, his eyes wandered. Hopping from one dress to another, Munto was desperately searching.

Yumemi.

She was here wasn't she? Rui had specifically said that _all _the guests were present. That Yumemi was surely there. Munto was trying his hardest to not look like he was obviously searching while talking.

"And so, my friends," He was coming to the end of his speech and there was still no sign of the long blonde hair he's been yearning for. Suddenly, his breath caught.

There she was.

How could he not have seen her before?

She stood by two other female figures, probably her friends that she had brought to the Upper World all those years ago. One other male stood together with the shorter friend. But, Yumemi stood out the most.

How did his eyes skip across her figure?

She and her friends stood at the eastern most part of the hall, right next to the ceiling high windows overlooking a large outdoor garden. The moon had risen and formed a perfect backdrop behind Yumemi. She shone brighter though. She was beaming at him. A proud smile, as though she were Munto's proud mother.

It took Munto a moment to realize that he had stopped talking. He cleared his throat and tore his eyes away, "And so, my friends, let us enjoy the night together as equals." The crowd roared to life with applause and music began to play. Munto turned and disappeared behind the red curtains. He didn't realize that his hands were shaking.

"Wonderful speech," Rui said with a quiet clap. He noticed the blank look on Munto's face. "Are you alright?" he asked, scrunching his eyebrows together. Munto jumped back to life.

"Huh? Oh. Oh, yes. I'm perfectly fine." Munto tugged at the bottom of his pristine white jacket reserved only for his most important occasions.

Rui's eyes widened. A smile crept onto his face. Was the almighty Lord Munto _flustered_? Rui decided that Munto was going to have enough on his hypothetical plate tonight, so he held his tongue. Instead, he gave a short bow, "Well then, I believe it is time for you to go down and mingle with your guests."

Even though it was dark behind the curtains, Rui could swear he saw the color drain from Munto's face.

* * *

When Munto's mind had caught up with his body, he realized that he was walking to the windows where he had last seen Yumemi. What was he going to say when he reached her? What were her friends' names again? Did she move from her spot already? Maybe she was at the tables with food set up for the people of the Lower World.

Munto has already been caught by three parties of guests who wanted a friendly word. He, of course, had to accommodate his guests. The king tried his hardest to keep the conversations short yet polite.

"Ah, it's Munto. There he is!"

"Geez, Suzume, you don't need to shout."

Munto turned slowly when he was met by a party of two girls and one boy. These girls were familiar. Yumemi's friends. Munto opened his mouth to talk but was cut off.

"I wanted to make sure he saw us, though," the smallest girl, Suzume, said with a small pout.

"I bet he would have come looking for Yumemi sooner or later," the taller girl grumbled. Ichiko, that was her name! Munto didn't have time to pat himself on the back though.

"Hello, it is a pleasure to see you both again," he said smoothly. Ichiko huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Suzume smiled and pulled forward the male standing behind her.

"This is my husband, Kazuya," she introduced. Kazuya bowed.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Suzume has told me a lot about you," he said, holding out his hand.

Munto took the hand and shook it firmly. He scanned the area quickly. If Yumemi's friends were nearby then she would be as well, right?

Ichiko rolled her eyes, "If you're looking for Yumemi, then she's outside with Miss Ryuely."

Munto perked up, "Ah, um, thank you." He bowed and gave them a quick "excuse me". He weaved his way into the crowd and disappeared behind gowns and suits.

Suzume giggled as she held onto Kazuya's arm, "Yumemi will be happy."

Scoffing, Ichiko replied, "Yeah, well, he'll be answering to me if he makes her cry."

* * *

Munto slipped through a glass door to the gardens outside. As the door clicked behind him, the music and voices became muffled. The ambient noises of the night became clear as he began walking into the garden. Not too far into the garden was a large fountain. At the foot of it sat two figures. One of the figures stood as Munto walked closer. Munto recognized her as Ryuely.

The older woman turned and smiled at Munto. "Well then," she said turning back to her companion, "it seems that it is time for me to take my leave."

Munto raised his hand to tell her that she doesn't need to leave, but she silenced him with a single meaningful look. Ryuely bowed to her companion and began making her way back to the party.

Munto turned to look at the girl left at the fountain.

Gold met emerald.

"Yumemi," he said without thinking.

The girl smiled in response. She stood from her spot, "Hello Munto."

The older man felt a grin rising onto his face, "That's Lord Munto."

Yumemi laughed in response. A sound that Munto realized he had _needed _more of.

"It is nice to see you again."

"Likewise," Munto said, holding out his hand. Yumemi slowly slid her pale hand into his rough one. He bent down and placed a sweet kiss on her knuckle. The girl giggled as a rosy blush rose to her cheeks. Munto let go of her hand and she brought both her hands to her chest.

The king took a moment to take her in. She wore a dress similar to the one he had given her when she first arrived in his world. The only difference was that this dress poured down into a long floor-length gown. The delicate pink fabric was adorned with gold trimmings.

Munto assumed that her dress(and friends' dresses, now that Munto remembered their appearances) had something to do with Ryuely. He would have to commend her later for her wonderful choice.

Munto's smile faltered when he saw her hands. None of her fingers were adorned with that simple gold band that he had given her three years ago. Had she forgotten it? He had given it to her when they parted. 'As a sign of their friendship' or something like that is what he had said when he handed her the ring. Rather ridiculous since he had already given her his red cloak. It was just that he didn't have the courage to say what he truly wanted the ring to signify.

Yumemi seemed to have noticed his gaze because she laughed lightly.

"I don't wear it on my hands." She reached to her neck and pulled at the silver chain hanging there. It's pendent was hidden underneath the top of her dress, so Munto had assumed it was the red pendant that she had always worn years ago.

When Yumemi pulled the chain out, instead on a pendant, hung a simple gold ring. "I figured I would have less of a chance of losing it if I wore it like this."

Munto smiled, a warm feeling growing in his chest.

"I wanted to wear the red cloak you lent me as well tonight, but Ichiko said I would have looked ridiculous."

Letting out a hearty laugh, Munto replied, "I'm sure you would have made it look wonderful."

Yumemi blushed as she looked away, a laugh dancing out of her lips as well.

Silence overcame the two. Had he always been so comfortable around Yumemi? Did he always laugh and smile this much when he was with her?

When the night was over, she would go home.

Munto felt like he had been splashed with cold water.

It's true. She would go home once the evening was done. He didn't have long to be with her. Would it be another three years until they met again?

"Yume-"

"Um-"

The two had started talking at the same time. They locked eyes, surprise and panic in both. Yumemi spoke first, "Please go ahead. I'm terribly sorry."

"No, no," Munto said waving his hand, "please continue."

"Please, it was nothing important."

"No, it's fine. Go first."

The two locked eyes again. Simultaneously, they began to laugh. Their laughs echoed through the garden.

Yumemi recovered first, once again, "I was just going to ask if you would dance with me... at some point tonight." She looked down as she spoke, clearly embarrassed. It's not everyday that someone asks a king to dance with her.

"I would be honored," Munto replied, a large smile clear. "Well then," he began, "We should head inside before it gets too cold." He figured he would just have to talk to her later. Munto turned to walk back to the hall when a tug at his left sleeve stopped him. His eyes widened as he turned around.

Yumemi squeaked in surprise as she let go of the white sleeve. Her eyes were wide and she took a large step backwards. "I-I am so sorry. I do-don't know what came ov-over me," her voice faded as she looked down at her feet.

Munto stared at the girl. Was she always so small? She seemed so petite. It seemed that she had grown a bit taller in recent years, but apparently so had he. He still stood a head taller than her. He could easily engulf her in his arms if he tried.

"U-um, shall w-we go inside now?" Yumemi was still looking her pink slippers as she spoke.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Munto closed his mouth which he realized was hanging open. He cleared his throat to speak when Yumemi began making her way past him, back to the hall, eyes still focused on the ground.

"Yumemi!" he called out louder than he had intended. Munto had reached out his right hand and caught her left arm, tugging her backwards.

Yumemi raised her gaze. Munto seemed more surprised by his outburst than she. The red king straightened his back and took a step towards her. His hand slid down to hold hers.

"Yumemi," he repeated in a softer tone.

The seventeen year-old girl stood shocked, heart hammering in her chest. She figured her face was completely flushed at the fact that Munto was holding her hand as gently as one would hold a flower.

Munto took a deep breath. He was wrong before. He needed to talk to her now. He gently raised her hand and rubbed her knuckles lightly with his thumb.

"I... I wish to see you more Yumemi."

Yumemi sucked in a breath. The wind blew her dress and hair. She figured it might have been cold outside, but she didn't feel it at all. Starting from her hand, a warmth was coursing throughout her body.

"Not just as friends," Munto continued, "I wish for us to be... I wish that you... I wish to court you." He could feel a heat rising up the back of his neck when he spoke. He was almost positive that was usually more articulate than that.

"Munto, are you..." Yumemi began. The words drowned in her throat. She couldn't even think straight with him looking at her so intensely.

"I'm not asking you to stay here. I just..." Munto's eyebrows scrunched together with emotion. He bent at his waist and brought Yumemi's hand higher. He pressed her hand to his forehead. He closed his eyes to concentrate on his voice, not wanting too much emotion to pour out. "I just cannot live without you."

Tears stung the back of Yumemi's eyes. She brought her free hand up to her mouth to stop a sob from possibly escaping. She took a small step forward, mere inches from Munto's face, "Already since long ago, I have been unable to live without you."

Munto opened his eyes. Yumemi's green eyes sparkled with tears that had yet to fall. Slowly he let go of her hand and raised both his hands to her face. For a moment, Yumemi thought that he would cup her cheeks. Instead, he reached around her neck and expertly unclasped her silver chain.

Straightening his back, Munto slid the gold ring off the silver chain. He offered his right hand to Yumemi. She placed her left hand in his. Carefully, he slid the ring onto her ring finger.

Yumemi smiled softly. She was caught off guard when Munto bent to be eye level with her once more.

"May I kiss you?"

Yumemi gasped quietly. Munto chuckled. He guessed that he was being a little too straightforward.

"Yes."

Now it was Munto's turn to be caught off guard. Yumemi had found something interesting to look at to her left. It took a lot of willpower for Munto to not break out into a silly grin.

Munto raised his left hand and caught her chin. He pulled her chin towards him to make sure that she was looking directly at him. He leaned forward and her eyes fluttered close.

He touched his lips against hers as gently as possible. Yumemi had pushed herself closer as she grasped at his the front of his jacket. Both her hands, tugging the fabric towards her. Smiling into the kiss, Munto wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to him as physically possible.

He was right. It was easy to engulf her in him.

As the lovers kissed, the ambient noise of the garden continued, the instrument players in hall continued to play, and the guests happily danced.

Many of the guests that had attended the party swore that the night seemed much more beautiful than usual.

And that it was.

* * *

Um, excuse me? Who wrote this? This has to be the single-most romantic thing I have ever written. Haha I found out about the Munto series probably three or four days ago. Why did no one tell me about it sooner? I love it. Can it please continue? Please.

I've been in a serious writing funk and I can genuinely say that this series saved me. It seriously needs more love.

Thanks for reading through this. If you like it, please review. If you _really_ like it check out my other stories. I don't have any more Munto stories (at the moment... maybe), but maybe something else will catch your eye.

Until next time. Cheers.


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